Department for Transport

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of vehicles evading road tax and the consequent loss of revenue for the last year for which figures are available.

Rachel Maclean: The most recent roadside survey, published in November 2019, estimated that 1.6% of vehicles in UK traffic were unlicensed. This represents a very high compliance rate of 98.4% and is a statistically significant reduction in unlicensed vehicles since 2017. The maximum level of potential revenue loss was estimated to be £94 million over the course of one year. However, enforcement activities against unlicensed vehicles accounted for around £90 million in fines and penalties being reported by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency during 2018/19.

Railways: Coronavirus

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of instructing train operating companies to automatically refund season ticket holders to encourage social distancing during the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has no plans to automatically refund season tickets as key workers on the front line of the Covid-19 response continue to rely on their season tickets to get to work by train. Season ticket holders are entitled to claim a refund, if they no longer need their ticket and should contact their retailer for details.

Aviation: Disability

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2020 to Question 9065, on Aviation: Disability, if he will take steps to ensure that the aviation industry receives the (a) resources and (b) funding it needs to support equal access to air travel.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is working closely with industry partners and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure the focus on accessibility continues to deliver on the ambition of equal access to aviation for all. In particular, the accessibility performance framework, introduced by the CAA, has been key to incentivising airports to improve accessibility through targeted investment.

Bus Services: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Written Statement of 23 March 2020 on Rail Update, what plans he has to extend similar emergency measures agreements to bus services.

Rachel Maclean: The Government has announced a package of measures to help the bus industry weather the current situation. These include maintaining central and local government grants and payments at similar levels to those pre-coronavirus, even if services are reduced or cancelled. It also includes allowing local authorities to use the additional £30 million from the £220 million ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’ package to support operators to run essential services for key workers where these are impacted by COVID-19.

Roads: Safety

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposals on (a) e-scooters and (b) other transport modes in his policy paper Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy on pedestrian safety.

Rachel Maclean: We have recently published a call for evidence as part of the Future of Transport Regulatory Review. The call for evidence does not make specific proposals but seeks to gather evidence about the impacts e-scooters and other types of transport may have. We have not yet made an assessment on pedestrian safety as a result of e-scooters and similar new vehicles. This will be done as we bring forward proposals and will be informed by the current call for evidence and, in due course, a number of real world trials. Safety will always be our top priority when considering whether new vehicle types may be used on the road in this country.

Distributive Trade: Coronavirus

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that adequate hygiene precautions are undertaken by all (a) drivers and (b) staff employed at distribution company depots during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Department is working very closely with the logistics industry to keep supply chains moving, including to address this and other matters to keep workers safe. Public Health England updated their advice on 24 March and further work with Public Health England is ongoing. My colleague Baroness Vere has reiterated in writing the need for guidance to be followed and truck drivers to be allowed access to facilities including toilets, which is consistent with the Public Health England advice.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Redundancy: Coronavirus

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking ensure that redundancy procedures undertaken as a result of the covid-19 outbreak follow statutory guidance.

Paul Scully: The Government is supporting businesses and their employees through a package of measures, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, during this period of unprecedented disruption to help firms keep people in employment, and reduce the need for redundancies. The Government is continually reviewing what further support can be offered to business and whether amended guidance is appropriate The legislation relating to collective redundancies remains in force and employers are expected to comply with these requirements. If there are special circumstances which mean that it is not reasonably practicable for an employer to comply in full with some of the requirements, the employer should still take all such steps towards compliance with that requirement which it reasonably can. This is a matter for employers to consider based on their own situation. Employees who feel their rights have been denied may complain to an employment tribunal, which may make a protective award of up to 90 days’ pay to each affected employee. Businesses and employees can get advice on individual employment issues by visiting the Acas website. Acas has detailed best practice guidance online for employers on handling large-scale redundancies. Businesses can also ring the BEIS Business Support Line for further advice on support for business.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure construction on the Hinkley Point C project is continued during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department is in regular contact with the leadership team at Hinkley Point C, as this project is extremely important for the UK’s future low-carbon energy supply. At this difficult time, we are doing all we can to support the project, such as through the Chancellor’s recently announced business support measures. More information on these measures can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure self-employed contractors do not incur financial penalties from businesses while self-isolating as a result of the covid-19.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government is supporting the self-employed through an unprecedented package of measures during this period of disruption. Measures include a temporary relaxation of the earnings rules (known as the Minimum Income Floor) for self-employed claimants who are sick or self-isolating according to Government guidance. The Government has extended this to all self-employed claimants, not just those directly impacted by the virus, ensuring those affected by the economic impact of the outbreak are supported.  On 26 March, the Chancellor announced a world-leading scheme to support the UK’s self-employed affected by Covid-19. The Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals, including members of partnerships, whose income has been negatively impacted. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month. Details of Government support for business during the Coronavirus outbreak can be found at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/.

Delivery Services: Protective Clothing

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure businesses provide delivery drivers with appropriate personal protective equipment during the outbreak of covid-19.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government is clear that we will support people in work during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are regularly engaging with industry stakeholders, including the British Retail Consortium, to ensure they are well prepared and that their operations remain in line with the latest health guidance. The Government is working with the manufacturing sector to ensure additional personal protective equipment (PPE) can be provided to frontline workers as quickly as possible to ensure their safety. While PPE supplies are currently being prioritised for health and social care workers, we are working to ensure additional requirements for PPE and consumables can continue to be sourced through normal distributors.

Driving: Disease Control

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to protect commercial drivers in (a) canteens, (b) break rooms and (c) other locations against covid-19.

Nadhim Zahawi: Where there are no practical alternatives, workplace canteens can remain open to provide food for their staff and a communal space for breaks. Where possible, staff should bring their own food to work and distributors should move to a takeaway model. Workers should try to minimise all meetings and gatherings in the workplace and measures should be taken to minimise the number of people in a canteen at any time, for example by using a rota. Further information and guidance on social distancing practices are set out at gov.uk.

Business: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the guidance on Making staff redundant on gov.uk, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the requirement for a 90 day consultation where more than 20 staff are being made redundant on the ability of businesses to operate during the covid-19 outbreak; whether he has any plans to (a) amend that guidance and (b) provide financial support to businesses to meet the costs of temporary redundancy during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully: The Government is supporting businesses and their employees through a package of measures during this period of unprecedented disruption. In order to help firms to continue to keep people in employment, the Government has introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Businesses can put workers on temporary leave and the government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed. They will receive the grant from HMRC, and all UK-wide employers with a PAYE scheme can self-certify that it has furloughed employees. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to March 1st. The scheme will help businesses to retain staff and reduce the need for full redundancies. The Government is continually reviewing what further support can be offered to business and whether amended guidance is appropriate Businesses and employees can get advice on individual employment issues by visiting the Acas website. Businesses can also ring the BEIS Business Support Line for further advice on support for business.

Remote Working: Coronavirus

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that companies whose workers are capable of working remotely during the covid-19 outbreak are implementing such policies.

Paul Scully: Government has advised that people should be working from home where it is possible to do so. Government is clear that we must support people in work to do the right thing during a Covid-19 outbreak. Businesses and employees can get advice on individual employment issues by visiting the Acas website and the latest advice on homeworking is published there. Businesses can also ring the BEIS Business Support Line for further advice on support for business.

Thomas Cook: Insolvency

Antony Higginbotham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Queen's Speech 2019, what progress has been made on introducing the Thomas Cook Compensation Bill.

Paul Scully: We are working to ensure that Parliamentary business can continue as far as possible during this period.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his oral statement of 17 March 2020, what steps he is taking to ensure consular staff in (a) Peru and (b) other nations have the capacity to support UK citizens who wish to return to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Wendy Morton: Due to a State of National Emergency announced on 16 March, and subsequent strict travel restrictions, members of our Embassy in Lima are working remotely. We are working round the clock to make flights available this week for British people who wish to leave Peru but who are currently unable to do so. The first flight landed at Heathrow on Thursday 26 March. carrying 192 passengers of which 172 were high priority, vulnerable cases. We have chartered a further three British Airways flights to help hundreds more British tourists in Peru return to the UK in the week of 30 March. Additionally we have chartered domestic flights from Cusco and Arequipa to Lima so that UK nationals can transfer to the London-bound flights.Like other organisations, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be affected if large numbers of staff become infected with covid-19. The same will be true of our overseas network. In that context, we are reprioritising activities and reassigning staff to make sure that we can continue to lead a global response to Covid-19 and deal with other urgent matters as they arise. The UK is in regular contact with governments, local authorities, commercial airlines and other diplomatic missions to enable British people to get home. International cooperation is more important than ever. Our consular team is working around the clock to provide support, advice and information. The situation is fast moving, and our advice at this time is for British nationals to secure safe accommodation and to speak to their tour operator, airline and insurance company to discuss the options available to them.

Saudi Arabia: Arrests

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Saudi Arabian authorities on the recent arrests of (a) Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, (b) Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and (c) Government officials; and if he will make a statement.

James Cleverly: We will continue to monitor the cases of those detained in Saudi Arabia. We raise concerns about individual cases regularly, using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels, including our Embassy in Riyadh.

Libya: Arms Trade

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the transport of aviation fuel into Libya by Gulf Petroleum to forces allied to Khalifa Hiftar, what plans the Government has to (a) take legal action and (b) impose sanctions against companies found in violation of the arms embargo in Libya.

James Cleverly: The UK is aware of allegations that aviation fuel was illicitly imported into Libya. The UK takes very seriously any reports of breaches of the UN Arms Embargo, which include imports of products such as aviation fuel destined for military use. These will be considered by the UN Sanctions Committee, which can decide to designate individuals or entities who undermine Libya's peace and security. The UK takes action against all individuals and entities so designated.

United Arab Emirates: World Expo

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his overseas counterparts on removing host status of the 2020 Expo from the United Arab Emirates following that country's continued violation of the arms embargo to Libya.

James Cleverly: We have been clear that external involvement in the Libya conflict is undermining UN efforts to end the fighting and bring the parties back to the negotiating table. We take very seriously all reports of violations of the UN arms embargo. The UK and the United Arab Emirates were amongst the participants in the 19 January Berlin conference on Libya, the conclusions of which were endorsed in UN Security Council Resolution 2510. This demanded that all UN Member States do not to intervene in the conflict, and fully comply with the UN arms embargo. We continue to make clear to all of the participants in the Berlin Conference that we expect them to live up to the commitments and support the UN political process.

Libya: Oil

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure Khalifa Hiftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, is unable to illegally sell oil to international markets.

James Cleverly: The Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation is the sole Libyan oil company with the authority to export Libyan oil. The UK condemns any attempts illicitly to export oil from Libya. In February, the UK led work to agree Security Council Resolution 2509 which extended the authorisations and measures imposed by Resolution 2146 relating to illicit oil exports. The resolutions enable the Sanctions Committee to designate vessels undertaking illicit oil exports and member states to interdict vessels so designated.

Libya: Politics and Government

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure continued support for the internationally recognised Government of National Accord in Libya.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on continued support for the internationally recognised Government of National Accord in Libya.

James Cleverly: The UK continues to support the Government of National Accord as the UN-endorsed government in Libya, and remains active in efforts to end the current fighting and to support a return to UN-led political talks. This month, I met separately with Libyan Prime Minister Serraj and with Interior Minister Bashaga. Ministers are also in regular contact on Libya with their European partners. The Prime Minister represented the UK at the Berlin Conference on Libya on 19 January, alongside other European and international leaders, and urged those present to respect the UN Arms Embargo and support a ceasefire. The conclusions of the Berlin Conference were endorsed by UK-drafted UN Security Council resolution 2510 (2020). In February, I attended the first meeting of the International Follow Up Committee to the Berlin Conference, in Munich.

Saudi Arabia: Arrests

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the recent arrests of (a) over 300 Government officials, (b) Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and (c) Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.

James Cleverly: We will continue to monitor the cases of those detained in Saudi Arabia. We raise concerns about individual cases regularly, using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels, including our Embassy in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia: Arrests

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps with his overseas counterparts to secure proof of life for (a) the 300 Government officials (b) political detainees and (c) Prince Turki bin Abdullah arrested recently.

James Cleverly: While we have not requested this information from the Saudi authorities, we continue to monitor these cases. The British Government remains concerned over the continued detention of a number of individuals, particularly those detained in Saudi Arabia because of their political views. The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns on a number of cases during his visit to Saudi Arabia on 4 and 5 March.

Saudi Arabia: Political Prisoners

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Saudi Arabian authorities on legal representation for political detainees in that country.

James Cleverly: We continue to monitor the cases of political detainees in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns on a number of cases during his visit to Saudi Arabia on 4 and 5 March. We raise concerns about individual cases regularly and will continue to call for political detainees to be given adequate legal representation.

Saudi Arabia: G20

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has plans to send a UK delegation to the G20 to be held in Saudia Arabia following human rights abuses in that country.

James Cleverly: The UK and Saudi Arabia have a longstanding bilateral relationship, based on trade; investment; defence; security; energy; and shared concerns on regional issues. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns during his visit to Saudi Arabia on 4 and 5 March. Saudi Arabia's G20 Presidency is an opportunity to address issues of global importance, notably Covid-19. We hope that the international platform provided by the G20 Presidency encourages continued progress on domestic reforms.

Department of Health and Social Care

Rough Sleeping: Alcoholic drinks and Drugs

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support rough sleepers with (a) drug and alcohol addiction and (b) mental health problems.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government recognises that many people who are sleeping rough have mental health issues and suffer disproportionate harms from drugs and alcohol misuse. The Government has committed to end rough sleeping by the end of this term of Parliament.To support this commitment the Government has announced £262 million of funding over four years for substance misuse treatment and recovery services for people experiencing rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping.Guidance to support commissioners and providers of services for people who use drugs and alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic is being developed and will be issued shortly.The Department is also providing £2 million in funding to test ways to improve access to health services for people with co-occurring mental ill-health and substance misuse problems who are currently, or at risk of returning to, sleeping rough. This builds on the commitment already made in the NHS Long Term Plan to spend up to £30 million over five years on mental health services for rough sleepers.

Rough Sleeping: Mental Health Services

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will update the Rough Sleeping Strategy to include further provisions for mental health support for rough sleepers.

Ms Nadine Dorries: As a part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has committed to spending up to £30 million over five years on mental health services for rough sleepers, to ensure that the parts of England most affected by rough sleeping will have better access to specialist homelessness National Health Service mental health support, integrated with existing outreach services.We are also providing £2 million in funding to test ways to improve access to health services for people with co-occurring mental ill-health and substance misuse problems who are currently, or at risk of returning to, sleeping rough.The Government has announced £262 million of funding over four years for substance misuse treatment and recovery services for people experiencing rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping. Urgent access to mental health services will be an integral part of this approach, as many rough sleepers have both mental health and substance misuse needs.

Coronavirus: Hospitals

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional funding has been allocated to (a) Chase Farm Hospital, (b) North Middlesex Hospital and (c) Enfield Public Health to deal with the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar: The Government has taken unprecedented actions to deal with the costs of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 11 March a £5 billion “emergency response fund” for the National Health Service and other public services.NHS England and NHS Improvement will be responsible for ensuring this money gets to the frontline providers that need it.

Department for International Development

Coronavirus: Charities

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has to allocate additional emergency funding to UK international development charities to ensure those charities do not (a) close, (b) cut programmes and (c) retrench staff as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wendy Morton: DFID is talking to our partners to look at ways to address the challenges posed to them and their projects by COVID-19. We will work collaboratively with our partners and take a flexible approach in order to find pragmatic solutions to support both our partners and our programmes.DFID is implementing the UK government position on supplier partner relief to ensure that we offer support where this is appropriate.Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis

Department for International Development: Ministerial Responsibility

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to reassign ageing to a specific Ministerial portfolio within her Department in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Wendy Morton: Ageing is an important element in the Department for International Development (DFID’s) efforts to tackle extreme poverty and our collective commitment to ‘leave no-one behind’. Baroness Sugg has direct responsibility for ageing as part of her portfolio on Inclusive Societies, and we will make this more explicit in her online portfolio. We recognise that, in addition to their other vulnerabilities, older people, people with pre-existing conditions, and those with complex needs are disproportionately impacted and at more serious risk of severe complications and fatality due to COVID-19.The UK is at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19 and has, to date, committed up to £241 million of funding to support the global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19. We will work with all of our humanitarian partners to ensure that the most vulnerable, including older people and people with disabilities are reached and supported. We are therefore continuing to take action to support countries to care for their populations.

CDC: Power Stations

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what investments (a) CDC Group and (b) its subsidiaries have in power generation facilities using (i) diesel, (ii) crude oil and (iii) Heavy Fuel Oil as a primary or secondary fuel; and what the (A) primary fuel type, (B) secondary fuel type and (C) value is of each investment.

James Duddridge: CDC has made the following investments: Investment Primary Fuel Type Back-up Fuel TypeMaria GletaGasDieselAzura PowerGasDieselSirajganj 4GasDieselSummit MeghnaghatGasDieselGVK EnergyGasDieselTermoyopalGasDieselEarly Power LimitedGasDieselAmandi EnergyGasCrude OilKaradeniz PowershipsGasHeavy Fuel OilTakoradi International Company Limited (TICO)Light Crude OilDieselAlbatros EnergyHeavy Fuel OilDieselTe PowerHeavy Fuel OilDieselGlobeleq Limited - TsavoHeavy Fuel OilDieselGlobeleq Limited - DibambaHeavy Fuel OilDieselJamaica Public Services LimitedHeavy Fuel OilDieselRabai Power LtdHeavy Fuel OilDiesel The total net asset value of these investments, as at 31 December 2019, was $276,272,552. CDC publishes the amounts it invests directly into businesses and investment funds. Individual investment valuations are commercially sensitive and are not disclosed. In the first two years of CDC’s current strategic period (2017-2018) it committed over $500 million to renewable energy. Since 2015, CDC has made over $800m of commitments in green investments in a range of sectors – including renewable power, green buildings and forestry. Over the past two years, CDC has committed over $500 million to renewable energy projects, almost 25% of CDC’s total investment commitments made over this period. Building on this base, CDC have recently completed work on a new Climate Strategy that sets out a higher level of ambition on Climate and a portfolio-wide “Carbon budget” approach to Paris alignment, tied to HMG commitments to reach net zero by 2050. CDC will launch its new strategy later this year.

Private Infrastructure Development Group: Power Stations

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list all Private Infrastructure Development Group investments in power generation facilities using (a) diesel, (b) crude oil and (c) Heavy Fuel Oil as a primary or secondary fuel, specifying for each investment the (i) primary fuel type, (ii) secondary fuel type, (iii) initial investment value and (iv) current net asset value.

James Duddridge: PIDG’s strategy now rules out any investing in coal. This is in line with UK Government policy, including the recent announcement at the Africa Investment Summit. Of the power generation projects which Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) has supported, 2 use diesel and 5 use Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) as primary fuel sources. PIDG funding has also directly supported diesel as a back-up fuel source for one solar power project. Project NameCountryCommitment* ($ million)Commitment yearPrimarySecondaryAES-SonelCameroon35.52003HFO Rabai Power Ltd.Kenya32.772008HFOconvertible to LNGSmart Energy SolutionsMultiple Countries (SSA)202014Diesel Tobene Power, SenegalSenegal322014HFO Karadeniz, Multiple countriesIndonesia152015Diesel Albatros Energie Mali SA, MaliMali14.662016HFO Tobene IISenegal7.452017HFOconvertible to LNGArchipelago Hybrid Power Solutions, IndonesiaIndonesia8.62017Solar PVDieselTOTAL Diesel Primary ($ million)35TOTAL HFO Primary ($ million)122.38 Data on all PIDG investment commitments are available online via its Results Monitoring Database and its annual reports (https://www.pidg.org/). Data on the current net asset value of these investments is commercially confidential and not published.

St Helena: Shipping

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to ensure St Helena is resupplied following the withdrawal of the ferry service.

Wendy Morton: Following the decommissioning of the Royal Mail Ship St Helena in 2018, the St Helena Government contracted sea cargo services using the MV St Helena, which delivers bulk supplies on a monthly basis. A commercial air passenger service also provides capacity to transport freight to the island on a weekly basis. We are working to support Overseas Territories including St Helena during the COVID-19 pandemic and are in regular dialogue with them on the assistance required, including on supplies.

Department for Education

Sixth Form Education: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will raise the rate of funding for sixth form students to at least £4,760 per year.

Gillian Keegan: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



We are investing an extra £400 million in 16 to 19 education next year to ensure that we are building the skills that our country needs. We will increase the base rate of funding by 4.7%, from £4,000 to £4,188 for the academic year 2020/21. Over and above the base rate rise, this extra spending also includes new resources for high value and high cost courses and funding to support those on level 3 programmes to continue to study English and maths where needed. This is the biggest injection of new money into 16 to 19 education in a single year since 2010 - with funding increasing faster for 16 to 19 than in 5 to 16 schooling – and will mean a significant increase in the average level of funding per student. We will of course continue to look at the needs of 16 to 19 education in future Spending Reviews.

Further Education: Regulation

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating an independent regulator of further education providers.

Gillian Keegan: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



The quality of further education (FE) providers is independently regulated by Ofsted. Financial health is regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which ensures direct accountability to ministers.In addition, the FE Commissioner provides practitioner experience to help improve leadership and governance. This includes supporting colleges at risk (through diagnostic assessments) and highlighting best practice, supported by the National Leaders of Further Education.We are currently considering the recommendations of the Independent Review of College Financial Oversight, carried out by Dame Mary Ney, and will publish the report and the government response in due course.

Apprentices: Taxation

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will enable apprenticeship levy costs to be temporarily used to fund existing staff wages in addition to training during the time restrictions imposed due to the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



We are developing guidance in partnership with the sector to support all parts of the apprenticeship system in response to the Covid-19 outbreak which is consistent with advice issued by Public Heath England. The specifics on this will follow as soon as possible.

Children: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the protection and support of children known to be living in households affected by domestic abuse in the event of school closures during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



Domestic abuse is a devastating crime and we fully recognise the impact it has on children and young people who may feel even more vulnerable if they are unable to attend school.We want to prioritise supporting those most in need at this very difficult time and ensuring that vulnerable children remain protected is a top priority for government. Schools have been asked to continue to provide care for vulnerable children including those who are supported by social work, those with safeguarding and welfare needs, including child in need plans, on child protection plans, ‘looked after’ children, young carers, disabled children, and those with education, health and care plans.We will work with schools and local authorities to help identify the children who most need support at this time.Local authorities have the key day-to-day responsibility for delivery of children’s social care. Social workers will continue to work with vulnerable children in this difficult period and support these children to access provision in schools, and any other support they require.The latest guidance on vulnerable children and young people can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

Pastoral Care: Coronavirus

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure vulnerable children receive pastoral support in the event of schools closing as a result of covid-19.

Vicky Ford: Supporting vulnerable children is a priority at this time. On Wednesday 18 March, my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education announced that schools will remain open for vulnerable children, alongside the children of critical workers. Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with education, health and care plans. We want vulnerable children to continue to attend education settings so their pastoral needs can continue to be met.In circumstances where a parent does not want to bring their child to an education setting, and their child is considered vulnerable, the social worker and education setting should explore the reasons for this, directly with the parent.Social workers will remain in contact with vulnerable children and families throughout this challenging time, including remotely if needed.The latest guidance for on support for vulnerable children and young people can be found using the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people.

Children in Care

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is provided for looked after children after their 18th birthday.

Vicky Ford: Young people who have been ‘looked after’ are entitled to continuing support from their local authority (LA) when they leave care. The LA must appoint a Personal Advisor to help care leavers plan for their futures, access the support they need from mainstream services and provide practical and emotional support. Personal Advisor support is now available for all care leavers to age 25 (support previously ended at age 21 for most care leavers).LAs also have a duty to consult on and publish their ‘local offers’ for care leavers. This sets out care leavers’ legal entitlements, as well as any further discretionary support that the LA provides. They also have a duty to provide a £2,000 bursary to care leavers who attend university. LAs are required to provide financial support to help care leavers engage in education; employment and training; and a leaving care grant (£2,000) to help the young person furnish their first home.Since 2014, LAs have been under a duty to provide financial support to enable young people in foster care to remain living with their former foster family to age 21 in a Staying Put arrangement. The department has announced funding of over £33 million in 2020-21 to support implementation, an increase of approximately £10 million (40%) on 2019-20. A National Care Leaving Advisor was appointed in 2018 to support LAs to improve their leaving care services.In October 2019, we announced the establishment of a cross-government ministerial board to drive better outcomes for care leavers and we have an on-going programme of work with other departments to identify changes to their policies that will impact positively on care leavers’ lives.

Students: Coronavirus

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral statement of 18 March 2020, Official Report, column 1083 on educational settings, what arrangements are in place for students due to undertake vocational assessments during the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: Holding answer received on 24 March 2020



As a result of the unprecedented public health emergency, the government has taken the difficult decision to cancel all exams due to take place in schools and colleges in England this summer. Our priority is to ensure that students can move on as planned to the next stage of their lives. The Department and the qualifications regulator Ofqual are working urgently with awarding bodies and the sector to explore options to ensure that as many students as possible who were expecting to take assessments this summer for vocational and technical qualifications, are not disadvantaged.For apprentices, their employers, training providers and assessment organisations we are developing guidance to support all parts of the apprenticeship system which is consistent with advice issued by Public Health England. This will include increased flexibility on delivery and completion.We will provide more information shortly.

Schools: Coronavirus

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how (a) teachers and (b) other school staff will be deployed between schools due to school closures during the covid-19 outbreak; what powers (i) local authorities and (ii) academy trusts will have during that period; and what steps he is taking to ensure that there is effective co-ordination between those organisations and (A) nurseries and (B) other childcare providers.

Nick Gibb: We understand that this is a very difficult time for teachers – we are asking a lot of them and all school staff to help the country fight this virus.Once schools have assessed their demand and capacity, they should liaise with their local authority to establish whether any staff need to be moved to an alternative setting. We have set out in guidance (published 22 March 2020) that local authorities will need to work closely with educational settings to ensure sufficient provision is available across the local area. Local authorities and educational settings may need to redeploy staff, such as teachers, support staff or other critical workers. They may need to do this across the usual boundaries of maintained, academy, college or other status to ensure the right staff are in the right settings.Parliament has passed the Coronavirus Act 2020, which includes powers to direct schools and other educational settings, including academies and independent schools, to close, open, re-open or remain open. The Act allows my right hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education, to delegate these powers to local authorities. The Act also supports schools to stay open by granting powers to the Secretary of State to relax certain elements of education law which would be impossible to fulfil in the current circumstances.Local authorities are also responsible for coordinating the response to these new arrangements and we expect them to work with schools, nurseries, childminders and others to ensure that different settings are supported to stay open wherever possible, taking into account their circumstances and cohort to ensure there is adequate provision.

Schools: Coronavirus

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  with reference to his Department's guidance, Guidance for schools, childcare providers, colleges and local authorities in England on maintaining educational provision, published on 19 March 2020, whether children are eligible to attend school where only one parent is defined as a key worker during the period of school closures due to covid-19.

Nick Gibb: The Department has recently published guidance for parents and carers in relation to the closure of educational settings, which is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers.The current guidance confirms that children with at least one parent or carer who is critical to the COVID-19 response can attend an education or childcare setting if necessary. However, many families with a parent or carer working in critical sectors will be able to ensure their child is kept at home. Every child who can be safely cared for at home should be, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.

Schools: Coronavirus

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the required pupil to teacher ratio will be in schools during the period of school closures due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: To help ensure that the risk of COVID-19 spread for both staff and children is as low as possible, we have asked schools to ensure class sizes reflect the numbers of teaching staff available and are kept as small as possible.

Academies: Coronavirus

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, will Academy conversions be suspended during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Department is focused on the welfare of pupils and all those who work in the education system at this time. Ofsted has currently suspended routine inspections so the Department will not be issuing new academy orders to schools judged inadequate.For schools which were due to convert on 1 April 2020, where possible these conversions will still proceed to reduce uncertainty over the status of these schools.

Children's Play

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance has been issued to local authorities on children’s play services.

Vicky Ford: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework sets the regulatory standards for learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements for all early years providers caring for children aged 5 and under. The framework defines 7 areas of learning and development and is clear that each area must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.The EYFS does not promote a particular pedagogical approach - it is for individual early years settings to determine how the areas of learning should be implemented to support children to meet the expected level of development by the end of the reception year.The EYFS Statutory Framework is available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

Pupils: Coronavirus

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has provided to (a) Pupil Referral Units and (b) other specialist or alternative education providers on regular physical contact with pupils during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: The department has published guidance to all schools, including Alternative Provision (AP) settings and pupil referral units (PRUs), on implementing social distancing in education and childcare settings. The guidance can be found at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings. We have also issued wider guidance regarding ongoing provision for vulnerable children, including in AP and PRUs: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people. We will support these settings, via local authorities and other key agencies, to identify the best way to protect young people in AP and PRUs, and to keep them open where it is feasible to do so.

STEM Subjects: Environmental Protection

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government plans to take to incorporate the Environment Bill and it's proposals into the teaching of STEM subjects in schools.

Nick Gibb: It is important that young people are taught about the issues addressed by the Environment Bill, including protecting the environment, climate change, and sustainability. Relevant topics are already included in both the science and geography curricula and qualifications.In primary school science, pupils are taught about how environments can change as a result of human actions. They will learn about animals’ habitats, including that changes to the environment may pose dangers to living things. In secondary school science, pupils are taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. They will also learn about the efficacy of recycling and the importance of biodiversity. In GCSE science, pupils will consider the evidence for anthropogenic causes of climate change. They will study the impact of increased levels of carbon dioxide and methane and how this can be mitigated, alongside other pollutant gases. Pupils will also learn about renewable and non-renewable energy sources.In secondary school geography, pupils will be taught about how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate, and how human activity relies on the effective functioning of natural systems. As part of GCSE geography, pupils will look at the causes, consequences of and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards. In 2017, the Department introduced a new environmental science A Level. This will enable students to further study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled.Sustainability content will also be included in T Levels – the new post-16 technical study programmes. In setting the content, the T Level panels of employers and industry experts must consider the inclusion of sustainability as relevant to their sector. In construction, T Level students will be required to learn about renewable energy and emerging technologies to support energy efficiency.

Universities: Religion

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department provides to universities on Articles of Faith.

Michelle Donelan: As independent and autonomous organisations, higher education providers (HEPs) have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the protected characteristics of their staff and students. These include in relation to religion and belief. We expect them to discharge their responsibilities fully and have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law.HEPs are also responsible for meeting their legal obligations relating to free speech, and this includes expressing religious views. HEPs have a duty to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law for members, students and employees of the establishment and for visiting speakers.

Children: Day Care

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to cover additional private childcare costs incurred by key workers following the outbreak of covid-19.

Vicky Ford: The government has asked childcare providers to continue to care for a limited number of children – those who are vulnerable and those whose parents are critical to the COVID-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home. Guidance for childcare providers to follow in this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.Local authorities will be assessing the needs of communities and will be liaising with providers about how best to organise childcare for vulnerable children and children of critical workers.Providers should try to be as flexible as possible for critical workers who work shifts or atypical hours.We urge all childcare providers to be reasonable and balanced in their dealings with parents, given the great uncertainty they will be facing too.

Education: Coronavirus

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's announcement on 18 March 2020 that schools, colleges and early years settings should close, whether (a) after school and (b) holiday clubs are included in that closure; and whether he has plans to allocate financial support to those organisations during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: We have asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and for childcare providers, schools and colleges to remain closed, except for those children who absolutely need to attend. Guidance covers Ofsted-registered childcare providers for children of all ages, including childminders, nurseries and wraparound childcare and clubs. This includes before- and after-school and holiday care. Further details of the guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.On 23 March 2020, the government also provided further guidance directing youth centres and community centres to close. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.Regarding financial support, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a package of support for businesses. This includes business rates and Statutory Sick Pay relief, and a range of loans and grants. Furthermore, under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis. HM Revenue & Customs will reimburse 80% of furloughed workers’ wage costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month.

Schools: Protective Clothing

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing staff and children in schools with personal protective equipment.

Nick Gibb: It is important to underline that schools, all childcare settings (including early years settings, childminders and providers of childcare for school-age children), colleges and other educational establishments, remain safe places for children and staff. The fewer children making the journey to school and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.We have published guidance on social distancing in educational settings to limit the risk of the virus spreading. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings.We will work with schools, childcare settings and local authorities to ensure that adequate supplies of personal and domestic cleaning products are available to schools. We will issue further detailed guidance regarding the supply and use of personal protective equipment to settings that require it.

Universities: Students

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with universities on ensuring that students remain enrolled at their institution in the event (a) that they lose their part-time employment and (b) of another change in their financial situation as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Michelle Donelan: The government is working closely with the sector on a wide range of issues, and student wellbeing is at the heart of those discussions. It will be for universities to deal with individual students’ situations.Universities know how best to provide support and maintain hardship funds, which can be deployed where necessary, which is especially important for students who are estranged from their families, disabled or have health vulnerabilities.Students will continue to receive scheduled payments of loans towards their living costs for the remainder of the current, 2019/20, academic year. If they are employed or self-employed, they may also be able to benefit from the wider measures of support announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.If agreed with their employer, their employer might be able to keep them on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for them to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). This is known as being ‘on furlough’.They could get paid 80% of their wages, up to a monthly cap of £2,500. More information can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees.

Students: Loans

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the chief executive of the student loans company on the potential merits of refunding loans for the third term of this academic year.

Michelle Donelan: The Student Loans Company (SLC) will continue to make scheduled tuition and maintenance payments to both students and providers. Both tuition and maintenance payments will continue irrespective of whether learning has moved online. This has been communicated via the SLC website. We are continuing to monitor the position.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Aid Scheme

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to review the eligibility for legal aid.

Alex Chalk: The Government announced a review of the legal aid means test on 7 February 2019, as part of the Legal Support Action Plan. The review is in progress, bringing together data, evidence and expertise, and liaising with experts from across the field to explore potential improvements to the system. The review is considering the full range of means-testing criteria, including the applicable thresholds for legal aid entitlement and their interaction with wider criteria.

Domestic Abuse: Children

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy community-based support provision for children affected by domestic abuse.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with charities on community support provision for children affected by domestic abuse.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on strengthening the provisions relating to children in the Domestic Abuse Bill.

Alex Chalk: The enhanced Domestic Abuse Bill, as re-introduced on 3 March, includes a new statutory duty on tier one local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse, and their children, within safe accommodation. This new measure augmented those already in the Bill addressing the impact of domestic abuse on children. As provided for in clause 66(2)(b), the statutory guidance which will accompany the Bill will recognise the effect of domestic abuse on children. The guidance will outline the range of impacts domestic abuse can have on children, as well as appropriate support and referral mechanisms. The Bill will also establish in law, the independent Domestic Abuse Commissioner who will be required to consider the impact of domestic abuse on children, and the services available to them. In the Government’s further response to the Joint Committee on the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill (CP 214), also published on 3 March, we indicated that the Domestic Abuse Commissioner has agreed to undertake an in-depth exploration of the current community-based support landscape. The Government will then work with the Commissioner to understand the needs identified and develop options on how best to address them. I can confirm that the Justice Secretary is in regular contact with his Cabinet colleagues on support for children affected by domestic abuse, including the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as with leading charitable organisations working in this sector. In addition, we know that there are specific concerns for victims of domestic abuse and their children during the COVD-19 outbreak. We are working with other Government Departments to ensure that sufficient support is in place for these victims.

Domestic Abuse: Courts

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the proposed trial of domestic abuse courts will be delayed as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Alex Chalk: We are considering the effect of covid-19 outbreak on the delivery of the Integrated Domestic Abuse Court pilot. The Government is committed to the implementation of the pilot but is keeping the situation under constant review and will always be led by the scientific advice.

Domestic Abuse: Children

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Practice Direction 12J in protecting children affected by domestic abuse during the court process.

Alex Chalk: Last year, the MoJ established an expert panel to consider the current provisions to protect children and vulnerable parents during the family court process. Part of the remit of the panel is to consider the courts’ application of Practice Direction 12J. The call for evidence resulted in more than 1,200 responses. The panel has analysed the findings and is finalising its report and recommendations for next steps. This will be published in due course

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Children: Coronavirus

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure vulnerable children living in temporary accommodation (a) with shared toilets and kitchens, and (b) that is over-crowded are not at put at additional risk of contracting covid-19.

Luke Hall: Time spent in temporary accommodation ensures that no family is without a roof over their head, and this is particularly important when we are dealing with the impacts of Covid-19.Housing authorities must ensure that the accommodation is suitable for the applicant and their household until the duty ends (for example, until they are offered settled accommodation or they are no longer eligible for assistance).If you are living in accommodation that you share with other people, or if you share facilities with other people, you should follow current PHE guidance on self-isolation and self-distancing within the home.If you are having to leave accommodation, you should get in touch with your local authorityYou can find Government guidance on cleaning your house to minimise the risk of infection here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings.

Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the regulations under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

Mr Simon Clarke: On 3 November 2019 we announced we were contracting with the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop the Code of Practice as a British Standard. Work with BSI commenced in December 2019, and they are now convening a group of key stakeholders, representing consumers and the industry, to write the Code.  We have previously committed to developing the final Code this year, and prior to this a full public consultation will take place to give the parking industry, the public and other interested parties the opportunity to have a say. Now, our priority is to work with local authorities and the parking industry to respond to Covid-19.

Housing: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of local authority housing services that have closed their offices in response to the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps the Government is taking to that ensure that (a) homeless people and (b) people at risk of homelessness have timely access to advice and support from local authority housing services.

Luke Hall: The Government recognises the challenges faced by those who are homeless or sleeping rough during the Covid-19 outbreak.Our specialist adviser teams are working closely with all local authorities on their responses to Covid-19. We are not currently aware of any local authority housing services which have closed their offices in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, though we know some may move to remote working. Those who work in charities, key frontline services and occupations delivering essential public services are included in the published list of key workers whose children will be prioritised for educational provision so that essential services can be maintained during this time.As an initial first step we have announced £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to help rough sleepers and those at risk of sleeping rough to self-isolate.

Homelessness: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the delivery of personal protection equipment to homelessness accommodation providers helping with the response to the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Luke Hall: MHCLG officials are working closely with DHSC to provide PPE equipment to all those that need it. Further information on this will be available in due course.This Government recognises that social distancing is a significant challenge for the those who are homeless or rough sleeping and we are already working closely with local authorities to support vulnerable groups such as these.Because we recognise the challenges faced by many who are currently sleeping rough, we are ensuring local authorities are supported with £3.2 million in targeted funding to ensure that we minimise the risk to those currently unable to self-isolate. £1.6 billion of additional funding will go to local authorities to enable them to respond to other Covid-19 pressures, including stepping up support for the adult social care workforce and for services helping the most vulnerable.

Temporary Accommodation: Coronavirus

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to mitigate potential health risks from overcrowding for people placed by local authorities in (a) temporary accommodation and (b) initial accommodation during the covid-19 outbreak.

Luke Hall: Time spent in temporary accommodation ensures that no family is without a roof over their head, and this is particularly important when we are dealing with the impacts of Covid-19.   Housing authorities must ensure that the accommodation is suitable for the applicant and their household until the duty ends (for example, until they are offered settled accommodation or they are no longer eligible for assistance).If you are living in accommodation that you share with other people, or if you share facilities with other people, you should follow current PHE guidance on self-isolation and self-distancing within the home.   If you are having to leave accommodation, you should get in touch with your local authority.   You can find Government guidance on cleaning your house to minimise the risk of infection here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings.

Business Premises: Tenancy Agreements

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will impose a stay on forfeiture notices for commercial tenancies for the duration of the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Government recognises the uncertainty faced by commercial tenants due to the Covid-19 pandemic and we want to protect them during this difficult time.This is why we introduced an amendment to the Coronavirus Act which prevents commercial tenants from being evicted for 3 months. Commercial tenants will still be liable for the rent, but this provides a grace period and builds on the significant package of support for businesses already announced.

Department for Work and Pensions

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to support people who are self-employed where they have to (a) self-isolate and (b) take sick leave in response to covid-19.

Mims Davies: Holding answer received on 16 March 2020



As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Statutory Sick Pay: Coronavirus

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending eligibility for statutory sick pay to parents who have to stop work as a result of their children's school being closed.

Justin Tomlinson: Statutory Sick Pay is not appropriate for people facing childcare issues rather than health ones. Parents who cannot work because of school closures should explore options with their employer. However, as both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Universal Credit: Housing

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2020 to Question 28736 on Universal Credit: Housing, whether her Department has (a) never made or (b) not recently made that assessment.

Will Quince: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



No assessment has been made.

Housing Benefit

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to (a) make housing benefit available to applicants immediately and (b) increase awards to cover median local rents.

Will Quince: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



Housing Benefit is only available to those of pension age or those living in temporary or supported accommodation. We are not looking to extend eligibility criteria beyond these groups. However, housing cost support is available through Universal Credit, for those of working age, from the point of claim and advances up to 100% of a claimant’s eligibility are available immediately.

Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that her Department's social security claims enquiry lines are adequately staffed during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we are working quickly to deploy staff on to critical services. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

Universal Credit

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure limited social interaction in relation to appointments for new universal credit claimants since 16 March 2020.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to (a) protect public-facing universal credit and jobcentre staff and (b) limit their social interaction since 16 March 2020.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) phone and (b) online appointments for new universal credit claimants.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether new universal credit claimants have been required to attend in-person appointments after a phone assessment since 16 March 2020.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he will take to increase staffing of the universal credit helpline in response to increasing demand as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that no one should be penalised for doing the right thing. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.The Department is taking all appropriate steps to protect colleagues and customers, in line with Government advice.

Universal Credit

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have been asked to attend in-person appointments with the imposition of sanctions if they failed to attend since 16 March 2020.

Mims Davies: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Universal Credit

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the average (a) journey time and (b) distance universal credit claimants have made to attend in-person appointments in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mims Davies: This information is not collected.Since the introduction of Universal Credit, claimants have been supported by a more flexible approach to contact, with much greater use of digital and telephone channels. This enables claimants to continue to engage with the Department, receive appropriate support and satisfy the conditions of their personalised Claimant Commitment, without having to always attend an appointment in person.Claimants can also access free telephony and web support through the Citizen’s Advice Help to Claim service.

Consumers: Advisory Services

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she is taking to steps to support (a) Citizens Advice and (b) other third sector advice organisations on managing covid-19-related queries during the outbreak of that disease.

Mims Davies: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure people are not unduly sanctioned following the cancellation of job centre appointments as a result of covid-19.

Mims Davies: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to pause universal credit deductions during the covid-19 outbreak for (a) third party suppliers (b) universal credit and benefit overpayment (c) universal credit advance and (d) recoverable hardship payment; and if she will make a statement.

Mims Davies: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Housing Benefit: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to introduce three-month bloc payments of housing benefit to homelessness accommodation providers to reduce financial risk during the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will make a statement.

Will Quince: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Personal Income: Coronavirus

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the proposal from Citizens Advice to establish a Crisis Minimum Income of £180 per week for people affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

Will Quince: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Zoos: Coronavirus

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to classify keepers of animals in zoos and conservation centres as key workers so that they can continue to care for animals in the event that their site is closed during the covid-19 outbreak.

Victoria Prentis: We value the very important work undertaken by zoos in ensuring that the health and welfare needs of the diverse range of animals they care for are well met. Zoos support much appreciated conservation and educational activities which are highly valued by society. The Government has published guidance at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others which clarifies that zoos are not on the list of businesses and venues that have been ordered to close. This guidance also confirms that people may travel for work purposes where they cannot work from home. Those caring for zoo animals are unable to do so from home. The Government has published guidance at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision which indicates which workers may secure places in schools and nurseries to enable them to continue to work. This includes those essential to the running of charities and workers delivering key frontline services.

Direct Marketing

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce the volume of (i) junk mail, (ii) charity collection bags and (iii) commercial marketing material delivered to people's homes and (b) ensure that those items are (A) recyclable or (B) biodegradable.

Rebecca Pow: The Resources and Waste Strategy, published in December 2018, sets out the Government’s plans to reduce, reuse and recycle more plastic than we do now and to move towards a more circular economy. Our target is to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste throughout the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan. Households can sign up to services to stop receiving unsolicited mail, such as those provided by the Direct Marketing Association or Royal Mail. A “no junk mail” notice may also be effective. Charity textile collections offer a convenient way for people to reduce their environmental impact, reusing or recycling around 650,000 tonnes of clothing which might otherwise be sent to landfill. In 2017, following a public consultation, the Fundraising Regulator strengthened its Code of Fundraising Practice to require charitable house to house collectors not to post collection bags to properties that indicate they should not do so by way of a notice, for example “no charity bags”. People can complain to the local council and provide feedback directly to charities. The bags can be reused for other purposes or recycled. The Government recognises that innovation into biodegradable plastics could help reduce the environmental impact of plastic, if they are disposed of in the right way. We therefore published a call for evidence last year to help us consider the development of standards or certification criteria for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics and to better understand their effects on the environment and our current waste system. We are currently analysing the responses received to inform future policy.

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people that are unable to leave their home and depend on online shopping for their groceries receive deliveries that are (a) timely and (b) complete.

Victoria Prentis: The Government has well-established ways of working with the food industry during disruption to supply situations. Our retailers already have highly resilient supply chains and they are working around the clock to ensure people have the food and products they need. Industry is adapting quickly to these changes in demands, and we welcome the actions they are taking to support demand for online deliveries, including hiring more staff and prioritising delivery slots for those that need them most. To help industry respond to this unprecedented demand we have introduced new measures to support online deliveries. We have issued guidance to local authorities to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets so that shelves can be filled up more quickly, and we have implemented extensions to drivers’ hours. We are also temporarily relaxing certain elements of competition law to ensure retailers are able to collaborate effectively in the national interest, for example by sharing distribution depots and delivery vans. The Government is working to ensure that up to 1.5 million people in England identified by the NHS as being at higher risk of severe illness if they contract Coronavirus will have access to the food they need. A new Local Support System has been put in place to make sure those individuals self-isolating at home and who are without a support network of friends and family receive basic food and essential supplies. The Government is working with a partnership of the food industry, local government, local resilience forums and emergency partners, and voluntary groups, to ensure that essential items are being delivered to those who need it.

Home Office

Asylum: Information

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the accuracy of (a) information gathered during interviews with asylum applicants and (b) asylum decisions.

Chris Philp: Asylum operations is working to improve the quality and accuracy of decision-making to ensure that we get decisions right first time. This includes assuring that we properly consider all evidence provided by applicants in order to reduce the proportion of allowed appeals, analysing the reasons for allowed appeals and using this to inform and further improve guidance and training for decision making staff.All decision makers receive extensive training on how to interview asylum seekers in a sensitive way and consider the claim for sustainable decisions to be reached. We ensure that claimants are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim before a decision is taken, even where that information may be sensitive or difficult to disclose.UKVI has an internal audit process which assesses the quality of decisions, interviews and the application of Home Office policy. We have Senior Case Worker assessments as well as independent auditors from the Central Operations Assurance Team who audit asylum cases and provide quarterly reports.It is Home Office policy to digitally record asylum interviews unless the exemptions policy applies, a copy of the interview record is given to the applicant and legal representative if present.

Asylum: Information

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve information provided to people seeking asylum.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to monitor the quality of experience of people seeking asylum in the UK.

Chris Philp: The Home Office issues an information leaflet to asylum claimants at the point of claim which outlines the asylum process and the claimant’s responsibilities within that process. This information leaflet is periodically reviewed.Independent guidance and advice are also available to asylum claimants provided by Migrant Help. Migrant Help are present in initial accommodation where destitute asylum seekers are initially housed and their services can also be accessed via their website or by phone. Their website is available in multiple languages, and the helpline is free and accessible in multiple languages.UKVI work closely with our key partners and stakeholders to seek and share feedback to identify ways in which we can improve the quality of experience of people seeking asylum in the UK. We have recently set up a Customer Experience Management Team, based across the UK, who will work closely on a local level with stakeholders, to identify key areas to improve the overall experience for people seeking asylum in the UK.

Asylum: Employment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to grant asylum applicants (a) the right to work after six months waiting for a decision on their application and (b) access to English language classes from application.

Chris Philp: Asylum seekers can work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months, through no fault of their own. Those allowed to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, which is published by the Home Office and based on expert advice from the Migration Advisory Committee.It is important to distinguish between those who need protection and economic migrants, who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Our wider immigration policy would be undermined if migrants could bypass work visa routes by lodging unfounded asylum claims.Asylum seeker right to work is a complex issue and is under review. It is crucial we take the time to get this right. We are listening carefully to the arguments and considering the evidence put forward on the issue. Work on the review is ongoing.After six months we provide a 50% contribution to the costs of English language classes for asylum seekers in certain circumstances. Those granted refugee status are entitled to access fully funded English language tuition if they are unemployed and in receipt of certain benefits. Currently around half of those who seek asylum in the UK are found not to need international protection. Therefore, rather than invest in integration for those who may not qualify for international protection, this Government’s priority is to focus our efforts and resources to support those who most need it.

Action Fraud

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Action Fraud.

James Brokenshire: We are clear that the law enforcement response to fraud must improve. As the National Lead Force for fraud, the City of London Police (CoLP) are responsible for the performance of the Action Fraud service.This includes ensuring that reports are dealt with in a timely and effective manner. We are working closely with law enforcement to ensure the recommendations set out in Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report, as well as the independent review led by Sir Craig Mackey into the standards, culture and management of Action Fraud, are implemented effectively in order to improve the response to fraud at the local, regional and national levels, including the support provided to victims of fraud

Hate Crime: Facebook

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of Facebook’s complaints process for reporting hate crimes.

James Brokenshire: As outlined in the Online Harms White Paper, we intend to establish in law a new ‘duty of care’ on companies towards their users. The ‘duty of care’ will ensure companies have appropriate systems and processes in place to deal with harmful content, which includes hate crime, on their services to keep their users safe. The ‘duty of care’ will apply to companies that provide services which facilitate the sharing of user generated content or user interactions, for example through comments, forums or video sharing.Companies will be required to have effective and proportionate user redress mechanisms which will enable users to report harmful content and to challenge content takedown where necessary. This will give users clearer, more effective and more accessible avenues to question content takedown, which is an important safeguard for the right to freedom of expression. These processes will need to be transparent, in line with terms and conditions, and consistently applied.

Treasury

Non-domestic Rates

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support businesses who do not qualify for business rate relief.

Jesse Norman: The Government has set out an unprecedented package of support for all businesses affected by this crisis. All businesses will benefit from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Statutory Sick Pay refunds and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, alongside tax cuts and direct grants. Further detail of the business support package can be found at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk and more information on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Business: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support businesses that do not bank with a member of the British Bank Scheme during the covid-19 pandemic.

John Glen: The Government has announced an unprecedented support package to help businesses through this challenging time. For larger businesses, this includes the new Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), which will provide additional help for firms facing cash flow disruption. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) will provide Government-backed finance of up to £5m per business, helping SMEs who risk becoming unviable during this period. The scheme launched on Monday 23 March, and is being offered by a wide range of lenders. The British Business Bank (BBB) administer the scheme on behalf of Government, and are working with new lenders who wish to offer this scheme.

Dementia: Research

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the £22 billion investment into R&D, announced in Budget 2020, he plans to allocate to dementia research.

Jesse Norman: The Government recognises the economic value of the life sciences sector, the great work of the public health service and the challenge that dementia poses for society. At the 2020 Budget, the Government announced it would increase public investment in R&D to £22bn by 2024-25, the largest ever increase in support for R&D. This will support innovators and researchers in the UK in their work, including to address the great challenges facing our society such as healthy ageing and climate change. Although most of this investment will be allocated at the Spending Review, the Budget provided additional funding to the National Institute for Health Research for research into preventable diseases. This will support work directed towards solving a range of major health challenges and support local authorities to grow their research capabilities.

Research: Finance

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Budget 2020, what proportion of the £22 billion investment in R&D he plans to allocate to (a) performing and (b) funding R&D.

Jesse Norman: The Government is committed to supporting the UK’s leadership in science and innovation, and set out an ambition to increase economy-wide investment in R&D to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. At the 2020 Budget, the Government announced that it would increase public investment in R&D to £22bn by 2024-25, the largest ever increase in support for R&D. This will support innovators and researchers across the UK to develop their brilliant ideas, cutting edge technologies and ground breaking research. The majority of this uplift will be allocated at the Spending Review, including support for various R&D programmes. The Government will set out further details in due course.

Business: Coronavirus

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to ensure that businesses (a) receive comprehensive advice and consistent support when accessing the economic package of help that has been put in place in response to the covid-19 outbreak and (b) will be compensated if the planned measures prove to be insufficient.

Steve Barclay: The government has announced a significant package of financial support for businesses and organisations. Details of this package are available at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk. Businesses and individuals will also benefit from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), Statutory Sick Pay refunds and Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), which will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. More detail on the CJRS can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Business: Coronavirus

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Governor of the Bank of England on banks supplying credit to businesses to mitigate economic disruption and support cash flow during the covid-19 outbreak.

John Glen: The Treasury and Bank of England have regular discussions on the economic outlook, and the Chancellor has regular discussions with the Governor covering the full range of the Bank of England’s responsibilities. This includes the economic disruption as a result of Covid-19, and helping to provide a comprehensive, coordinated and coherent response.

Credit: Coronavirus

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Governor of the Bank of England on banks supplying credit to households to support consumer confidence during the covid-19 outbreak.

John Glen: On 17 March, the Government announced a package of measures totalling £350 billion aimed at supporting the financial wellbeing of British businesses, individuals, and families. The Government recognises that the outbreak of COVID-19 may lead to consumers facing financial difficulty and uncertainty. Therefore, we have acted to support customers who may find it challenging to make mortgage or credit payments and may require access to further credit. The major banks and building societies have pledged to provide relief to customers impacted by Covid-19, including deferring mortgage and other loan repayments, waiving fees on savings accounts and increasing overdraft or credit card limits. The Government is working closely with the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Chancellor meets with both on a frequent basis to discuss these issues. On 25 March, a letter from the Chancellor, the Governor of the Bank of England, and the CEO of the FCA to the CEOs of UK banks was published regarding bank lending and the provision of credit during this crisis. The Government stands ready to announce further action wherever necessary.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to force employers to enrol in the Government scheme for the public purse to provide 80 per cent of an employee's salary if they are unable to work as a result of covid-19.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to include workers on zero-hour contracts in the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Jesse Norman: The Government will make sure it protects, as far as possible, people’s jobs and incomes. This is an unprecedented jobs retention scheme and the Government has been working hard over the last week to set out further details on the scheme. Full details can now be found in the guidance available at: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme. Employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus are encouraged to use the scheme instead of making staff redundant. Under the scheme, employers can put employees on temporary leave and the Government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500 per month, providing they keep the individual employed. As set out in the guidance, the scheme does cover workers on flexible or zero-hour contracts.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support dogwalkers' businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.

Steve Barclay: The government has announced a significant package of financial support for businesses and employees, including dogwalkers’ businesses. This includes the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-employment Income Support Scheme amongst other measures to support businesses and employees during this period. Further details of this package are available at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk

Construction: Coronavirus

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support construction workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: The Chancellor has announced a range of measures to support the economy, including more than £330 billion of loans and guarantees to help firms continue operating.Many of these measures will benefit the construction sector and construction workers affected by Covid-19. Crucially, in a sector in which many are contractors and self-employed, the range of measures available includes the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, self-assessment payments deferred until 2021 and the self-employed being able to access, in full, Universal Credit at the same rate as Statutory Sick Pay for employees.The Government is clear that construction activity should continue where it can take place in line with public health advice. To support this, the Construction Leadership Council has published guidance for on-site construction. Construction sites should ensure they are following this guidance, as well as Health and Safety rules and other established safety procedures. The Government expects employers and site managers to be proactive and responsible in implementing guidance and communicating the importance of social distancing and other key measures to workers on site.The Government is in close contact with the construction industry to understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and will provide further guidance and updates as required.

Insurance: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to require insurance companies to define covid-19 as a notifiable disease for the purposes of claims made by businesses affected by the Government’s order to close; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: The Government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector about its contribution to handling this unprecedented situation. For those businesses which have an appropriate policy that covers government ordered closure and unspecified notifiable diseases, the Government’s social distancing instructions are sufficient to allow businesses to make a claim against their insurance, provided the other terms and conditions in their policy are met. The FCA’s rules require insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim, and appropriate information on its progress; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed. However, it is important to note that most businesses have not purchased insurance that covers losses from unspecified notifiable diseases, such as COVID-19. Some policies cover losses arising from any disease classed as notifiable by the government, however most policies only cover a specific list of notifiable diseases. The Government recognises that businesses who do not have appropriate insurance cover will require support from elsewhere. As such, businesses should explore the full package of support set out by the Chancellor in the Budget, on 17 March, and on 20 March, which includes measures such as business rates holidays, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and wage support.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support (a) childminders and (b) other self-employed people during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced new support for the self-employed on 26 March 2020. The new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will help those with lost trading profits due to COVID-19. It will allow eligible individuals to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for the next 3 months. This may be extended if needed and is one of the most generous self-employed support schemes in the world. To qualify, an individual’s self-employed trading profits must be less than £50,000 and more than half of their income comes from self-employment. 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment will be eligible for this scheme. HM Revenue & Customs will contact individuals if they are eligible for the scheme, and will invite them to apply online using a simple form. HMRC are working on this urgently and expect people to be able to access the Scheme no later than the beginning of June. More information about the Scheme, including the full eligibility criteria and how to claim, is available at: www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme. The Scheme supplements the significant support already announced for UK businesses and employees, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/.

Non-domestic Rates

Shaun Bailey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support businesses with property with a rateable value of over £51,000 and who therefore do not qualify for grant funding.

Steve Barclay: A range of measures to support all businesses has been made available. These include the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, allowing businesses to benefit from loans of up to £5m, with the first 12 months of that finance interest free, and the Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility. Businesses can also benefit from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to help keep people in employment. More detail on the business support package is available at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk. More detail on the CJRS for businesses is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Companies: Coronavirus

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what guidance his Department has issued to finance companies on the provision of repayment holidays for people that have lost income or been made redundant.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his recent announcement on mortgage payment holidays during the covid-19 outbreak extends to those paying second mortgages.

John Glen: Banks and building societies are ready and able to support consumers impacted by COVID-19. On the 17 March, the Chancellor announced on behalf of the sector that banks and building societies will offer a 3-month ‘mortgage holiday’ for borrowers that are financially struggling with their repayments. This forbearance measure will enable affected borrowers to defer their mortgage payments for up to 3 months while they get back on their feet. The FCA have also published guidance on payment holidays and repossession action for firms that engage in mortgage lending activities. This means that second charge mortgages are also captured by the measures. You can view the guidance here: https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/mortgages-coronavirus-consumers As a form of forbearance, the option of a mortgage repayment holiday is open to any customer regardless of whether they are in payment shortfall. Any customer who is concerned about their current financial situation should get in touch with their lender at the earliest possible opportunity to discuss the best option for their them. The Government has introduced an unprecedented £350bn package of measures to support businesses access the finance they need during this difficult period, and announced significant measures to directly provide support for SMEs including grants, business rates relief and other tax measures.

Football: Coronavirus

Scott Benton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support football league clubs facing financial difficulties as a result of the outbreak of covid-19 through (a) improving their access to Government-supported loans and (b) encouraging the Football Association and Premier League clubs to provide short-term financial assistance.

Steve Barclay: The government has announced a significant package of financial support for businesses and employees, including the sport sector. This includes the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-employment Income Support Scheme amongst other measures to support businesses and employees during this period. Further details of this package are available at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will include Flybe as an eligible company for the  Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Jesse Norman: The Government will make sure it protects, as far as possible, people’s jobs and incomes. Firms that are in administration are welcome to use the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme under the same conditions as other employers. Further information on eligibility can be found in the published guidance available at: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Off-payroll Working

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many contractors working for his Department have had their employment status assessed in relation to the new IR35 rules on off-payroll working; and how many of those staff are subject to those rules.

Caroline Dinenage: DCMS assess employment statuses for tax purposes according to the 2017 IR35 amendment. We are currently engaged with 37 contractors, of which 14 are currently in scope of the IR35 tax legislation.

Local Press: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to coordinate a public health awareness campaign using local newspaper outlets during the outbreak of covid-19.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Government recognises that news publishers, including local newspaper outlets, have a vital role to play in ensuring the provision of reliable, high-quality information to citizens during the current COVID-19 crisis. The need for independent, verifiable news and information is more essential than ever. The design and implementation of a public health awareness campaign is for the Cabinet Office and the Department of Health and Social Care to decide. However, the Government is clear that getting reliable information out to the public on this issue is a priority and that newspapers provide one of the vehicles for doing so.

Prime Minister

Prime Minister: Press Conferences

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will ensure that his daily press conference is available in sign language.

Boris Johnson: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 March 2020 to the Hon. Member the Member for Ilford North, UIN 30105 and to the Hon. Member the Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, UIN 30049.https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-03-16/30105/https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-03-16/30049/